Multi-BCF and Common BCCH

*Module Objectives:
Give an overview of the common BCCH and Multi BCF
feature.
Explain the concept of segments and associated Common
BCCH parameters
*Common BCCH:
*Dual Band Operation
Every BTS has its BCCH and SDCCH channels

*Common BCCH Control

Improved spectral efficiency (one BCCH)
Optimised use of signaling channels
Tighter reuse of non BCCH carriers
Better quality (decreased number of HOs)

*Common BCCH:
Allows integration of TRXs from different frequency
bands into one cell (segment).
Provides service to MSs in all frequency bands which
they support.
Improved spectral efficiency: different bands of a cell
share the same BCCH.
BCCH is allowed in any of the supported frequency
bands.
Improved trunking gain.
Base stations: Talk Family, Ultra, Flexi and Metrosite.
BCCH Allocation mainly similar to the single band
network implementation.
Adjacency information sent to the mobile station is
based on the BCCH frequency of a common BCCH
segment.
Other frequency layers in a segment are invisible to the
mobile stations:
-MS sees a segment as one BCCH frequency cell.

-MS sees many segments as a BCCH frequency

network.
Modified BA list to an MS on the non BCCH frequency
layer of a segment:
-the BCCH frequency of the segment itself is
added among the BCCH frequencies the MS
measures.
Initial SDCCH on the BCCH carrier band:
the multiband capabilities of an accessing mobile
station are not known at the time of the initial
SDCCH allocation.
no way to define the usability of the non-BCCH
layer of the segment because the MS starts
sending measurement reports only after it has
moved to a dedicated channel.

While the MS is on an SDCCH the BSC receives:

in Class mark Change message Mobile Station
Class mark 3 indicating the terminal's frequency
capability of using other frequency bands than
BCCH frequency band.

*Initial SDCCH allocation:

*Segment and BTS objects:

Segment:
Segment = Telecom cell

A segment may consist of several BTS objects.

BTSs of a segment are co-located and synchronised.

The maximum number of BTSs in a segment is 32.

The maximum number of TRXs in a segment is 36.

BTS object in a segment must consist of TRXs of the same

frequency band and base station type

*Multi BCF:
Allows combination of several BTSs into one logical cell.

BSC supports Multi BCF Control for Talk family, UltraSite,

Flexi and MetroSite base stations (specific BTS
combinations).

Allows the operator to increase the capacity of a cell to 24

TRX (Metro, Talk Family) or to 36 TRXs (Ultra, Flexi)while
maintaining the maximum spectral efficiency (no extra
BCCH).

Site expansion path from Talk Family to UltraSite/Metrosite

(thus providing EDGE support to the site).

 In the case of MetroSite the BSC allows only MetroSite base

stations in a multi BCF segment.

When Multi BCF Control and Common BCCH are combined

you are allowed to configure both BTSs of different frequency
bands and BTSs of different base station types to one
segment.

*Multi BCF, example:

1-UltraSite 8+8+8 configuration with separate BCCH (Dual
BCCH):
Altogether 6 BCCH carriers.

2- UltraSite 8+8+8 configuration with Multi BCF:

improved spectral efficiency, 3 BCCH carriers

*Band Specific Power Control:

GSM 900 signal tends to be stronger than GSM 1800:
-> wider coverage for GSM than for GSM 1800
-> useless if BCCH is taken from GSM 1800
Band specific maximum output power of BTS:
Bs Tx Pwr Max used for GSM 800/900
Bs Tx Pwr Max 1x00 used for GSM 1800/1900

MO
Cla
ss

Abbreviated
Name

Range
And
Step

BTS

msTxPwrMaxCCH

5...39
dBm,
step 2
dBm

BTS

msTxPwrMaxCCH
1x00

0...36
dBm,
step 2
dBm

Description

Defa
ult
valu
e

BSC MML
Name

The maximum
transmission
power an MS
may use when
accessing a CCH
in the cell for
GSM 900/800
bands.

33
dBm

TXP1

The maximum
transmission
power an MS
may use when
accessing a CCH
in the cell for
GSM 1800/1900
bands.
Range:
GSM 1800: 0..36
dBm (step size

30
dBm

TXP2

2)
GSM 1900: 0..32
dBm (step size
2) and 33 dBm

* Access to non-BCCH layer:

MO
Cla
ss

Abbreviated
Name

BTS
nonBCCHLayerOffs
e

HOC nonBcchLayerAcce
ssThr

Range
And
Step

Description

Defa
ult
valu
e

BSC MML
Name

40...40,
step 1

Defines
whether the
predefined
offset margin
is used when
evaluating
the signal
level of the
non BCCH
layer.

NBL

-110...47
dBm,
step 1
dBm

Threshold value -90

for the
dBm
estimated
downlink signal
level on nonBCCH layer for
a moving MS
from BCCH
layer to nonBCCH layer.

LAR

*Call Setup:
MS indicates its capabilities while on an SDCCH.
=> BSC finds out if non BCCH frequency band
resources could be included in channel allocation for
the terminal.
MS reports the downlink signal level on the SDCCH.
=> BSC finds out if radio conditions are good enough
for the MS to use non BCCH frequency resources of the
segment with the criterion.
*RXLEV_DL NonBcch Layer Offset >= NonBCCH Layer
Access Threshold
NOTE: Where: RXLEV_DL is last received signal strength on the
serving channel
With the decisions above the BSC determines the applicable
frequency bands of a segment for an MS during call setup when
the MS moves from an SDCCH to a TCH.
*Intercell Handover:
In BSC internal handovers between separate cells the
usability of BCCH frequency hand resources in a target

cell is defined using the BTS specific offset parameter

and a neighbour parameter defined for the target cell:
*AV_RXLEVNCELL (n) >= rxLevMinCell (n)
In BSC internal handovers between separate cells the
usability of non BCCH frequency band resources in a
target cell is defined using the BTS specific offset
parameter and a new threshold parameter defined for
the target cell:
*AV_RXLEVNCELL (n) NonBcch Layer Offset (n) >=
NonBCCH Layer Access Threshold (n)
Applies to both SDCCH and TCH allocation cases
*Intra cell handover:
When the call is going on on a non-BCCH frequency
band the usability of different types of resources is
defined based on the averaged BCCH measurement
results. The following formulas are used:
*AV_BCCH_RXLEV_DL NonBcchLayerOffset >= rxLevAccessMin
*AV_BCCH_RXLEV_DL NonBcchLayerOffset >=
NonBCCHLayerAccessThreshold
* The first formula is used to evaluate the usability of BCCH
frequency resources of the segment. The second formula is used
to evaluate the usability of non-BCCH frequency resources of the
segment.
*External handover:
In case of handover to a segment of another BSC, the
non-BCCH layer of the segment is usable if it is at least
as strong as the BCCH layer.

 The nonBCCH Layer Offset(n) on the target non-BCCH

BTS must be equal to zero or less than zero for the BTS
to be used for incoming handover.
Applies to both TCH and SDCCH cases.
*SDCCH Handover based on duration of reservation:
Since the allocation of the initial SDCCH takes place in the band
where the BCCH is, a method is defined to trigger SDCCH
handovers to other band(s)

Based on the SDCCH reservation duration on the initial band

Guided by a parameter Intra Seg SDCCH Ho Guard (ISS)

SDCCH reservation duration exceeds Intra Seg SDCCH Ho

Guard

There are resources outside the initial band in a cell and

satisfy the following:

RXLEV_DL - non BCCH layer offset >= non BCCH layer

access threshold

MS has the required support for the other resource types:

MO
Clas
s

Abbrevia Range And

ted
Step
Name

Descript
ion

BSC

Intra Seg
SDCCH
Ho Guard

guard
255 s
time for
attemptin
g an
SDCCH
handover
from the
BCCH

0...255 s, step 1
s
0: no time limit
set for starting
an SDCCH
handover
attempt from
the BCCH BTS

Defaul BSC t value MML

Name
ISS

resource layer,
attempt can be
made as soon as
possible
1..254: time
after which an
SDCCH
handover from
the BCCH BTS
resource layer is
attempted
255: no SDCCH
handover from
the BCCH BTS
resource layer is
attempted based
on SDCCH
reservation
duration

BTS
resource
layer to
another
resource
layer in a
segment

*Common BCCH & Multi BCF:

-Handover for balancing load:
BSC initiates an intra cell handover when TCH load in a
some BTS of the segment reaches a level defined with
the BTS level parameter BTS Load In SEG.
Triggering level = BTS Load In SEG +((100 BTS Load
In SEG )/2).

 BSC checks the load of the BTSs every time it receives

a TCH request for the segment.
BSC accepts as target only the segment's BTSs :
whose load is below the respective BTS Load
In SEG value.
in which the radio conditions are good
enough.
which are not same resource type as the
source BTS and the BCCH BTS.
The handover is primarily used to move TCH load from
the BCCH resource type but handovers can also be
made between other resource types.
*BTS Load in SEG:
MO Abbrevia
Clas
ted
s
Name

BTS

btsLoadIn
Seg

Range
And
Step

Description

0...100
Determines the load
%, step 1 limit for a BTS.
%
It is used in
controlling the load
distribution between
BTSs in a segment.

Defa
ult
valu
e

BSC
MM
L
Na
me

70%

LSE
G

*Common BCCH:
Intra cell handover from non BCCH layer based on
signal level:
BSC initiates an intra cell handover from non BCCH
layer to BCCH layer when the averaged downlink signal
level on serving channel decreases below the threshold
defined by parameter NonBcch Layer Exit Threshold
(LER, Nx, Px)
This decreases the number of inter cell handovers from
non BCCH layer
Handover is applicable in cells where BCCH layer has
more coverage than non BCCH layer
BSC uses general Power Control and Handover
Algorithm functions to trigger the handover
If intra cell handover fails then inter cell handover can
be triggered
MO
Cla
ss

Abbrevia
ted
Name

HO
C

Rx Level

Range
And
Step

Description

-110...-47
dBm,
step 1
dBm

With this parameter

you define a
threshold value for
the measured
downlink signal level
on non-BCCH layer
for a moving MS from
non-BCCH layer to
BCCH layer

Defau BSC
lt
value MML
Nam
e
-95
dBm

LER

HO
C
HO
C

NonBcch
Layer Exit
Thr_n
NonBcch
Layer Exit
Thr_px

1.32,
step 1

Nx value for the

above threshold

1.32,
step 1

Px value for the

above threshold

LEN
LEP